Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks – Book Review

Advice worth pondering on

Book review

Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks
By Morton E. Tavel, M.D

Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks is a non-fiction book by Dr. Morton Tavel. A cardiologist with over 20 years experience in medical practice, Tavel offers advice on the appropriate interventions on health conditions. He points out the many misconceptions and non-scientific health practices that people do.

As the title suggests, Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks is divided into three parts:

Health tips, where the author discusses about wellness and the scientific approach to treating certain health conditions.

Myths surrounding certain health conditions, and

Tricks that are propagated by the so-called “snake oil” salesmen.

The author singles out the typical American lifestyle. He cites certain reasons why many of his compatriots are overweight or obese. He also identifies the reason why many people opt for unhealthy foods over the healthy ones. Some of the myths he presents in this book include those that may have developed from hearing “personal testimonies” of paid individuals. Tavel says that some consumers harbor irrational fears over certain health conditions which causes are inadequately explained to them. He particularly blames the “snake oil” salesmen and shady companies for propagating misinformation. Thus, he’s prompted to warn the public against the bogus health claims. To a certain extent, the author mentioned the involvement of politics into the business.

Tavel wrote this book with all authority, supporting his propositions with extensive research and scientific facts. And he wrote it in a manner that readers who may have little or are unfamiliar of medical terms can easily understand.

I could see in Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks that Dr. Morton Tavel is an organized writer. He presents objective conclusion at the end of each chapter to help readers make an informed decision regarding health and wellness.

There are points in his propositions, however, that I tend to differ from, particularly on the issue of dietary supplements. Nevertheless, the book Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks is worth reading. From his conclusions, the readers may gain insights on the appropriate approach to wellness.

I give Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. The book is not well proofread or edited. Although minimal, you can find typographic errors here and there. Also, I don’t understand why the author puts the Greek π (pi) and ο (omicron) symbols respectively before and after the word ‘Chapter’. Nevertheless, I still recommend this book. The author’s conclusions are valid enough.